Richard Archdekin

Richard Archdekin

Born in Kilkenny, and also known as Mac Giolla Cuddy, or Arsdekin.He studied theology at Louvain, and then became a Jesuit at Mechelen in 1642.He taught philosophy, moral theology, and scripture at Louvain and Antwerp, and several of the theses over which he presided were printed and are listed below.He wrote a treatise in English and Irish on miracles.His Theologia Quadripartita, a guide to essential Catholic teachings and controversies with Protestants, was extremely popular, quickly selling out, and he produced an expanded form of the work in the same year, the Theologia Tripartita.The work received censure from the Inquisition and was thus emended at various points during the production of subsequent editons.Brussels MS 7299, f.71r-75v contains a summary of things to be emended by Archdekin. He also published a life of St Patrick accompanied by the so-called Prophecies of St Malachy, and a treatise "de constantia Hiberniae in religione Romana inter persecutiones poeneis perpetuas, per annos mille ducentos". At his death, he left a manuscript entitled “Theologia Apostolica”. The titles below scarcely convey the popularity of Archdekin’s works, which were reissued many times despite the earlier censure.